My leg was still bad so, but I was hopeful of being able to do a half decent ride and potentially walk up a small hill at Camasunary in order to get an excellent view into the Cuillin range. The weather was due to be excellent and though the morning was misty it was still bright and it was clear that there was a cloud inversion taking place. The drive to Skye was truly stunning as the sun burnt through the cloud and then the cloud hung to the Lochs and hillside.
I parked up near the Slagachan hotel and set off on my bike. I was expecting the first few hundred metres to be rough going, uneven and boggy, I wasn't disappointed. However, I soon realised that I'd taken the wrong path, so I retraced my steps. The new path still didn't feel capable of taking a Land Rover though, I triple checked but was comfortable that this was the only possible path,so I proceeded. There were a lot of water lanes (what are they called, I dunno?), which I needed to hop over and rarely did I have the confidence/ability to do this without stopping. The path was also very bouldery and so the going was slow. The weather and views were stunning, but I still felt unsure as to whether the route was going to be doable. I was unsure how far I'd travelled, but at one point I very nearly decided to turn back. Luckily I persevered and things got slightly easier and I managed to confirm that I was about a third into the route (obviously I needed to turn round and repeat once I got to the other end....).
I passed the occasional walker, but I was largely alone. The half way point came and went and I then started a gentle and slight descent. The route was still boggy and bouldery, but I became more capable of handling it. The weather and views remained stunning and I saw a salmon jumping out of a small lochan,which was quite spectacular.
I eventually arrived at Camasunary and looked up at the hill. Yet again I was faced with a do I/ don't I decision where there was no obvious answer. I decided to go with 'don't' on the basis that I wasn't wearing the right footwear, my leg was still dodgy and it could end up making the return journey long and painful as opposed to enjoyable.
I was definitely more competent as I started my return - I seemed to be able to flow over obstacles rather than being permanently halted by them. Before long, I met a fellow mountain bike who was riding in the opposite direction. It turned out he was a guide and so we had a brief chat and he took some photos of me to put on his facebook site.
As I approached the half way point I was starting to tire and was pleased to arrive back at the car having had an enjoyable and challenging ride - certainly more challenging than I'd expected. Land Rover my arse.....
I changed in the car park and then amused myself by washing in the river and looking up to realise that I was spoiling the view for a whole bunch of Chinese tourists who were still merrily taking pictures of the view.
This time I had my wallet with me so I quickly sped off to Portree to get some whisky and the books I'd seen, before returning to the Sligachan hotel (or the pub attached to it), for fish and chips.
Back at the hostel I started to ponder my options for the rest of the week. I had intended on one further day of walking in Glen Shiel before a night camping in Glencoe and a final walk up Buachaille Etive Mor. However, even putting my leg to one side I became dubious of my commitment to camping for a night and then walking on the final day prior to a long drive home. So I settled on trying a last walk tomorrow (the Brothers Ridge) and then driving home after - probably arriving home in the early hours of the morning,,,,
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